Rivers\u00a0 State\u00a0 Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike\u00a0 has\u00a0 advised\u00a0 \u00a0former<\/p>\n
Governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi,\u00a0 to accept the reality that his
\npolitical\u00a0 party lost the rerun\u00a0 elections and allow the state government
\nfocus on the rebuilding of the state.<\/p>\n
Governor\u00a0 Wike\u00a0 said that the responsibility\u00a0 of\u00a0 reviving the state after
\nthe immediate\u00a0 past administration failed to use the three trillion naira
\n(N3trillion) that accrued to the state under its watch is enormous.<\/p>\n
Declaring open a retreat on strengthening capacity, efficiency and service
\ndelivery for sustainable development for top government officials at Onne
\nMulti-Purpose Centre\u00a0 on Thursday,\u00a0 Governor Wike said that the
\nadministration\u00a0 has deployed\u00a0 resources\u00a0 and\u00a0 expertise to correct the
\nfailures\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Amaechi\u00a0 administration.<\/p>\n
He said: “I call on the former Governor and leader of the APC in the State
\nto accept the reality that the re-run elections has woefully been lost by
\nhis party and that Rivers people have, again, overwhelmingly re-affirm
\ntheir confidence, trust and preference for the PDP.<\/p>\n
“Therefore, spare us the agony of unnecessary hostility and allow Rivers
\nState to move forward in peace and security. We expect you to use your
\nhigh office and connections to attract meaningful development projects to
\nthe State as I did during my time; not senseless and unpatriotic
\ndistractions. Enough is enough.<\/p>\n
“All of us are aware of the sorry state of things in Rivers State before
\nMay 29 2015. Between October 25 2007 and May 28 2015 over three trillion
\nnaira accrued from all revenue sources to the State. Yet, they did nothing
\ntangible with that money to develop the State. Instead, they squandered
\nand diverted most of this money into private pockets through bogus and
\nill-fated projects. ”<\/p>\n
The governor\u00a0 noted that\u00a0 all key projects initiated by the Amaechi
\nadministration\u00a0 were either\u00a0 abandoned\u00a0 or not executed\u00a0 at all.<\/p>\n
He said: “Let\u2019s briefly look at the records since they live in denial. The
\nvisible projects initiated by former Governor Amaechi during his eight
\nyears in office include: the Karibi Whyte mega Hospital project, the
\nGreater Port Harcourt Project, the new Rivers State University project;
\nthe RSSDA over-seas scholarship scheme; the mosquitos eradication scheme,
\nthe Adokiye Amiesemaka Stadium project, the 500 primary schools project,
\nthe 23 mega secondary schools project, the ill-fated less than 1.5kms
\nmonorail project, and the dualization of some inner city roads.<\/p>\n
“However, none of these projects was realized before they left office
\ndespite spending billions and billions of naira on them. For example, the
\nKaribi Whyte Hospital was not just abandoned at the foundation stage, it
\nturned out to be a big scam on Rivers people. The Greater Port Harcourt
\nproject existed mainly on paper without any tangible progress. The Adokye
\nAmiesimaka stadium was abandoned half completed, while not even a stone
\nwas laid for the proposed new Rivers State University.<\/p>\n
“Furthermore, the mosquito eradication project was another huge scam, just
\nas the secondary school and overseas scholarships scheme were
\nmisconceived, fraudulent and unsustainable. In addition, they sold off
\nthree of the State\u2019s four independent power plants initiated by the
\nGovernor Odili administration to cronies and diverted the proceeds to
\nprivate ends.<\/p>\n
“The narrative is not different in their much-flaunted education and
\nhealth projects. Their own project audit before they left office reveals
\nthat out of 498 primary schools they initiated, only 116 were completed
\nand the rest abandoned. Similarly, out of the 23-mega secondary schools
\nthey initiated, only one was completed, the rest abandoned. Throughout the
\neight years, no public secondary school was rehabilitated, while all the
\ngeneral hospitals were willfully abandoned to rot and decay. I challenge
\nthe former Governor to controvert these facts in a public debate.<\/p>\n
“He said\u00a0 despite\u00a0 inheriting a badly governed state, his administration
\nhit the ground\u00a0 running, initiating critical\u00a0 projects and programmes that
\nhave revived the economy of the state to the benefit\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 people.<\/p>\n
The governor said: ”\u00a0 \u00a0 I made it clear from our first day in office that we
\ndidn\u2019t run for the office of Governor for the fun of it. We ran to restore
\nhope to our people; provide first-class public infrastructure, tackle
\ninsecurity and make Rivers State a preferred destination for local and
\nforeign entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
“We promised to build a new Rivers State where our people will be secure
\nin a well-managed government that cares about how we serve our people;
\nsecure in a justice system that protects the rule of law and delivers
\nequitable justice; secure in a prospering economy that works for everyone;
\na Rivers State where our children have equal access to first-rate
\neducation regardless of background; a Rivers State that is secure in a
\nhealthcare system that is accessible, qualitative and affordable for
\neveryone.<\/p>\n
“He pledged\u00a0 that his administration\u00a0 will\u00a0 continue\u00a0 to\u00a0 work\u00a0 for the
\nbenefit\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 people translating the New Rivers Vision into reality
\nwithin the specified\u00a0 time.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 governor\u00a0 noted that his administration\u00a0 will\u00a0 sustain sound
\ndevelopment\u00a0 principles and the pro-people accountable application\u00a0 \u00a0of
\nresources\u00a0 to enhance\u00a0 the\u00a0 development\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 state.<\/p>\n
He said: “Let me re-affirm the determination of our government to make
\nRivers State secure, peaceful and prosperous through public and private
\nsector participation. Although the glorious fruits of the transformative
\nprocess we have started would take some time to fully manifest, there is
\nno doubt that we are making steady progress with the lean resources at our
\ndisposal, despite the disruptive distractions from the bizarre opposition
\nthat has taken partisan politics to the point of terror.”<\/p>\n
In his opening\u00a0 remarks, Secretary\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 Rivers State Government,
\nChief\u00a0 Kenneth Kobani stated that the retreat was organised\u00a0 to equip\u00a0 top
\ngovernment\u00a0 officials\u00a0 with knowledge\u00a0 to assist the governor\u00a0 achieve
\nhis development\u00a0 goals.<\/p>\n
The Retreat had as resource\u00a0 persons the following: Prof Ibrahim Gambari,
\nProf\u00a0 A.O. Afolabi, Prof Bob Osaze,\u00a0 Ambassador SM Taribo, Dr Ita
\nEkpeyong, Mr Emeka Ezeh, Ambassador\u00a0 John Gana, Prof Christiana Okoji, Dr
\nEgem Odey and Ferdinand Agu .<\/p>\n
The governor, his Deputy, Commissioners,\u00a0 Special Advisers, Special
\nAssistants, Permanent Secretaries,\u00a0 Members of\u00a0 Boards and Commissions are
\nparticipants at the retreat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rivers\u00a0 State\u00a0 Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike\u00a0 has\u00a0 advised\u00a0 \u00a0former Governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi,\u00a0 to accept the reality that his political\u00a0 party lost the rerun\u00a0 elections and allow the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n